U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2013–3012

June 2013

Prepared in cooperation with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development 

Water Resources of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana

§ ̈¦49

§ ̈¦49

Natchitoches

Provencal

Robeline

Natchez

Clarence

Campti

Ashland

Goldonna

Powhatan

Grand Ecore

Colfax

Coushatta

Gulf of Mexico

LOUISIANA

ARKANSAS

TEXAS

MISSISSIPPI

Area enlarged

Alexandria

Saline Bayou

near Clarence

Red River at Grand Ecore 

Bayou Pierre

near Lake End

Na-474

Na-487

10 KILOMETERS

0

0 2 4 6 8

2 4 6 8 10 MILES

NATCHITOCHES PARISH

VERNON PARISH

SABINE PARISH

RAPIDES PARISH

GRANT PARISH

WINN PARISH

BIENVILLE PARISH JACKSON PARISH

RED RIVER

 PARISH

DE SOTO

 PARISH

Base map modified from Official Map of Louisiana, Department of

Transportation and Development, 1986 

A A'

Red River

alluvial aquifer

Sparta aquifer

Cockfield aquifer

Catahoula aquifer

Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer

32°00'

31°45'

31°30'

93°30' 93°15' 93°00' 92°45'

EXPLANATION

Area where no major aquifer contains

 fresh groundwater

Approximate altitude of base of

 fresh groundwater, in feet below

 National Geodetic Vertical Datum

 of 1929 (NGVD 29) (modified from

 Smoot, 1988)—Deepest freshwater

 contained within Carrizo-Wilcox

 aquifer, except where noted

 Above NGVD 29

 0 to 499

 500 to 999

 1,000 to 1,499

 1,500 to 2,000

Boundary of area showing deepest

 freshwater contained within 

 overlying Alluvial aquifer 

Boundary of area showing deepest

 freshwater contained within 

 underlying Sparta, Cockfield,

 and Catahoula aquifers 

Trace of hydrogeologic

 section (see fig. 3)

Well for which hydrograph is

 shown and identifier (see fig. 4)

U.S. Geological Survey surface-water

 site and station name (see table 4)

 

Na–487

A A'

Saline Bayou

near Clarence

Little River

Cane River

Cane River

Lake

Red River

Red River

Saline

Lake

Clear

 Lake

Sibley

Lake

Bayou Pierre

Black

 Lake

Saline Bayou

Black Lake Bayou

Saline Bayou

Spillway

Lake

Nantachie

Lake

Lake

Iatt

Lake

Rodemacher

Kisatchie Bayou

Introduction 

In 2005, about 33.8 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) 

was withdrawn from water sources in Natchitoches Parish, 

Louisiana1 (fig. 1). Surface water sources accounted for 

about 86 percent (29.2 Mgal/d) of all withdrawals whereas 

groundwater sources accounted for about 14 percent 

(4.62 Mgal/d) (table 1). Withdrawals for industrial use 

accounted for about 42 percent (14.1 Mgal/d) of the total 

water withdrawn (table 2). Other categories of use included 

public supply, rural domestic, livestock, rice irrigation, general 

irrigation, and aquaculture. The city of Natchitoches used 

almost 5.6 Mgal/d (about 5.2 Mgal/d of surface water and 

0.4 Mgal/d of ground water) for public supply. Water-use data 

collected at 5-year intervals from 1960 to 2005 indicated that 

total water withdrawals increased from about 3.5 Mgal/d in 

1960 to a peak of almost 35 Mgal/d in 2000 (fig. 2). 

This fact sheet summarizes basic information on the water 

resources of Natchitoches Parish. Information on groundwater 

and surface-water availability, quality, development, use, and 

trends is based on previously published reports listed in the 

Selected References section.

1

Tabulation of numbers in text and tables may result in different totals 

because of rounding; nonrounded numbers are used for calculation of totals. 

Figure 1. Location of study area, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. (Note, the Black Lake reservoir comprises Black Lake and Clear Lake.)
500

-1,000

-2,000

NGVD 29

500

-1,000

-2,000

NGVD 29

FEET FEET

Sparta

aquifer

Upland 

Terrace

aquifer

Red River 

alluvial 

aquifer

Cane River

confining unit

Carizzo-Wilcox

aquifer

Midway 

confining 

unit

Red River

Vertical datum is National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29)

VERTICAL SCALE GREATLY EXAGGERATED

EXPLANATION

Contacts dashed where inferred

Base of freshwater 10 KILOMETERS

0

0 2 4 6 8

2 4 6 8 10 MILES

A A’

WEST EAST

Table 1. Water withdrawals, in million gallons per day, by 

source in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, 2005 (modified from 

Sargent, 2007).

Aquifer or

surface-water body Groundwater Surface water

Red River alluvial aquifer 2.65

Upland terrace aquifer 0.12 —

Catahoula aquifer 0.03 —

Cockfield aquifer 0.04 —

Sparta aquifer 0.50 —

Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer 1.23 —

Other aquifers 0.05

Bayou Pierre — 3.17

Black Lake reservoir1 — 1.24

Cane River — 0.45

Little River — 2.83

Red River — 12.88

Sibley Lake — 5.18

Miscellaneous streams — 3.44

Total 4.62 29.19 1

Black Lake reservoir consists of two interconnected lakes, Black Lake and 

Clear Lake.

Table 2. Water withdrawals, in million gallons per day, by 

category in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, 2005 (modified from 

Sargent, 2007).

Category Groundwater Surface 

Water Total

Public supply 1.08 5.20 6.29

Industrial 0.00 14.10 14.10

Rural domestic 0.51 0.00 0.51

Livestock 0.28 0.00 0.28

Rice irrigation 0.88 5.01 5.89

General irrigation 0.33 1.31 1.64

Aquaculture 1.53 3.57 5.11

Total 4.62 29.19 33.81

Groundwater

Surface water

EXPLANATION

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Year

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

Annual withdrawal, in million gallons per day

Figure 2. Water withdrawals in Natchitotches Parish, Louisiana, 

1960–2005.

Figure 3. Generalized west-to-east hydrogeologic section through 

Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana (modified from Smoot, 1989). Trace 

of section shown on figure 1.

Groundwater Resources

 The primary groundwater resources of Natchitoches 

Parish, from near surface to deepest, include the Red River 

alluvial, upland terrace, Sparta, and Carrizo-Wilcox aquifers 

(fig. 3). The Catahoula and Cockfield aquifers are also sources 

of freshwater in some parts of the parish (table 1) but are not 

considered major resources because of their limited extents 

within the parish; consequently, they are not discussed in this 

report. Fresh groundwater (water with a chloride concentration 

of less than 250 milligrams per liter [mg/L]) is available 

throughout the parish at depths ranging from near land surface 

to about 2,000 feet (ft) below the National Geodetic Vertical 

Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29) in the southwestern part of the 

parish (fig. 1). 

Recharge to aquifers is from rainfall, leakage from 

adjacent aquifers, and rivers during periods of high flow. 

Discharge from the aquifers is by natural flow into rivers during 

periods of low flow, leakage into underlying aquifers, and 

withdrawal from wells. 

State well-registration records listed 876 active water 

wells in Natchitoches Parish in 2010, including 671 domestic, 

115 irrigation, 75 public-supply, and 15 industrial use wells. 

In 2005, groundwater withdrawals for various uses included 

public supply, rural domestic, livestock, rice irrigation, general 

irrigation, and aquaculture (table 2). 
1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

100

110

120

130

140

150

Well: Na-487 (Wilcox aquifer)

Altitude of land surface: 155 ft above NGVD 29

Well Depth: 445 ft below land surface 

Well: Na-474 (Red River alluvial aquifer)

Altitude of land surface: 120 ft above NGVD 29

Well Depth: 73 ft below land surface

Water level, in feet above or below

National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29)

Year

Figure 4. Water levels in well Na-474 screened in the Red River 

alluvial aquifer and well Na-487 screened in the Wilcox aquifer in 

Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana (see fig. 1 for well locations) (U.S. 

Geological Survey, 2012a). Land surface is measured in feet (ft) 

above the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29). 

Red River Alluvial Aquifer 

The Red River alluvial aquifer is the most heavily pumped 

aquifer in Natchitoches Parish. The aquifer consists of gray and 

brown poorly-sorted sand and gravel and covers about a third 

of the parish. The Red River alluvial aquifer trends toward the 

southeast, through the central portion of the parish. It underlies 

the present course of the Red River and has a maximum width of 

about 16 miles (mi). A few miles south of the city of Natchitoches, 

the Red River is near the eastern boundary of the aquifer. In 

Natchitoches Parish, the maximum thickness of the Red River 

alluvial aquifer is about 60 ft, with an average thickness of 

about 45 ft. 

Saltwater is present in the Red River alluvial aquifer in a few 

localized areas in Natchitoches Parish where highly mineralized 

water from underlying aquifers is discharged into the alluvial 

aquifer. Where saltwater is present, however, it is stratified with 

freshwater at shallower depths overlying saltwater at the base of 

the aquifer (fig. 3). 

Recharge to the aquifer is from rainfall, leakage from adjacent 

aquifers, and the waters of Cane River Lake. Water levels in the 

alluvial aquifer fluctuate primarily in response to the stage of the 

Red River and precipitation. The hydrograph for well Na-474, 

which is located near the City of Natchitoches, shows seasonal 

water-level fluctuations of about 6 to 8 feet (ft) during the period 

1989–2010 (fig. 4). Flow in the aquifer is generally towards the 

Red River with a southerly (down valley) component of flow. 

State well-registration records listed 146 active wells 

screened in the Red River alluvial aquifer in Natchitoches Parish 

in 2010, including 70 domestic, 67 irrigation, 5 industrial, 

and 4 public-supply wells. Depths of these wells ranged from 

17 to 150 ft below land surface with a median well depth of 

85 ft. Yields from wells screened in the Red River alluvial aquifer 

in Natchitoches Parish range from 1 to 1,500 gallons per minute 

(gal/min) with most yields (73 percent) less than 80 gal/min. 

In 2005, groundwater withdrawals from the Red River alluvial 

aquifer in Natchitoches Parish totaled about 2.65 Mgal/d, primarily 

for rural domestic use and irrigation. 

A statistical summary of selected water-quality characteristics 

for freshwater samples collected from 101 wells screened in 

the Red River alluvial aquifer in Natchitoches Parish is listed in 

table 3. Based on median values for hardness,2 water from the Red 

River alluvial aquifer is generally very hard. Water in less than 

one-third (31 percent) of the sampled wells was below the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Secondary Maximum 

Contaminant Level (SMCL)3 of 500 mg/L for dissolved solids 

concentration. Water from the aquifer generally does not exceed 

the SMCLs for pH, color, and chloride concentrations but generally 

exceeds the SMCLs of 300 micrograms per liter (μg/L) for iron 

concentrations and 50 μg/L for manganese concentrations. 

Upland Terrace Aquifer 

The upland terrace aquifer, consisting of clay, sand, and gravel, 

covers only about 10 percent of the parish. The aquifer is principally 

located in the northern part of the parish between the Red River and 

the chain formed by Black Lake and Clear Lake (fig. 1). Sands are 

generally yellow or gray at depth, and red in weathered outcrops. 

The thickness of these deposits probably does not exceed 100 ft, 

with an average thickness of about 50 ft. Water levels in the aquifer 

fluctuate rapidly and through a considerable range in response to 

rainfall. 

State well-registration records listed 128 active wells 

screened in the upland terrace aquifer in Natchitoches Parish in 

2010, including 116 domestic, 8 public supply, 2 irrigation, and 

2 industrial wells. Depths of these wells ranged from 12 to 125 ft 

below land surface with a median well depth of 56 ft. Yields from 

wells screened in the upland terrace aquifer in Natchitoches Parish 

range from 5 to 255 gal/min. In 2005, groundwater withdrawals 

from the upland terrace aquifer in Natchitoches Parish totaled about 

0.12 Mgal/d, primarily for rural domestic use. 

Because few water-quality data are available for the upland 

terrace aquifer in Natchitoches Parish, water quality is not discussed 

in this report. 

Sparta Aquifer

The Sparta aquifer generally underlies the southern half of 

Natchitoches Parish and is present along the northeastern parish 

line. The Sparta aquifer outcrops in a narrow band in the northeast 

and central portion of the parish and consists of light gray sand and 

clay. Grain size varies from fine sand to coarse sand. The thickness 

of the aquifer in Natchitoches Parish ranges from about 250 ft to 

more than 600 ft. Individual sand beds in the lower part of the 

Sparta aquifer are as much as 250 ft thick. Groundwater flow is 

generally downdip to the south and east. Freshwater is present in the 

Sparta aquifer in northeastern Natchitoches Parish and in a 5- to 10- 

mi-wide band extending southwest from the southern end of Saline 

2

Hardness ranges, expressed as milligrams per liter of calcium carbonate, are as 

follows: 0–60, soft; 61–120, moderately hard; 121–180, hard; greater than 180, very 

hard (Hem, 1985). 3

The SMCLs are nonenforceable Federal guidelines regarding cosmetic effects 

(such as tooth or skin discoloration) or aesthetic effects (such as taste, odor, or color) 

of drinking water. At high concentrations or values, health implications as well 

aesthetic degradation might exist. SMCLs were established as guidelines for the 

states by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1992).
Table 3. Summary of selected water-quality characteristics of freshwater for the Red River alluvial, Sparta, and Carrizo-Wilcox 

aquifers in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana (U.S. Geological Survey, 2012b).

[Values are in milligrams per liter, except as noted. °C, degrees Celsius; PCU, platinum cobalt units; μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter at 25 °C; SU, standard 

units; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; μg/L, micrograms per liter; <, less than; NA, not applicable; —, insufficient data; SMCL, Secondary Maximum Contaminant 

Level established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2011)]

Temperature

(°C)

Color 

(PCU)

Specific 

conductance, 

field (μS/cm

at 25°C)

pH,

field (SU)

Hardness 

(as CaCO3)

Chloride, 

filtered

(as Cl)

Iron,

filtered 

(μg/L as 

Fe)

Manganese, 

filtered 

(μg/L as Mn)

Dissolved 

solids, 

filtered

Red River alluvial aquifer, 1940–2000

Median 20.5 <5 1,040 7.1 440 32 4,500 430 672

10th percentile 19.5 0 660 6.8 260 7.4 1,300 150 384

90th percentile 21.3 10 1,590 7.4 600 150 8,800 1,300 936

Number of samples 37 24 63 65 95 99 65 67 29

Percentage of samples 

that do not exceed 

SMCLs

NA 96 NA 100 NA 100 5 4 31

Sparta aquifer, 1940–74

Median 22.0 5 522 7.6 12 20 130 40 333

10th percentile 20.6 0 59 5.7 5 5.2 80 — 60

90th percentile 24.5 25 1,140 8.1 75 140 1,400 — 632

Number of samples 5 11 20 20 30 30 6 2 18

Percentage of samples 

that do not exceed 

SMCLs

NA 64 NA 80 NA 100 67 50 78

Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, 1940–2004

Median 20.5 18 1,040 8.0 22 39 140 35 566

10th percentile 19.5 5 255 6.9 4 9.2 30 4 198

90th percentile 21.5 100 1,740 8.9 190 140 1,900 1,200 1,250

Number of samples 11 26 31 32 52 53 22 10 32

Percentage of samples 

that do not exceed 

SMCLs

NA 46 NA 75 NA 100 64 60 41

SMCLs

NA 15 NA 6.5–8.5 NA 250 300 50 500

Lake into Sabine Parish. Saltwater is present in the Sparta aquifer 

in most southern and southeastern areas of Natchitoches Parish. 

State well-registration records listed 54 active wells 

screened in the Sparta aquifer in Natchitoches Parish in 2010, 

including 43 domestic, 10 public supply, and 1 irrigation well. 

Depths of these wells ranged from 15 to 725 ft below land 

surface with a median well depth of 145 ft. Yields from wells 

screened in the aquifer in the parish range from 4 to 365 gal/

min. In 2005, groundwater withdrawals from the Sparta aquifer 

in Natchitoches Parish totaled about 0.50 Mgal/d, primarily for 

public supply. 

A statistical summary of selected water-quality 

characteristics for water samples collected from 30 wells 

screened in freshwater areas of the Sparta aquifer in Natchitoches 

Parish is listed in table 3. Based on median values, water from 

the Sparta aquifer is generally soft and generally does not 

exceed SMCLs for pH, color, and iron and dissolved solids 

concentrations. Water in some areas, however, may exceed the 

SMCLs for iron or manganese. 

Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer

The Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer underlies all of Natchitoches 

Parish and outcrops north of Black Creek in the northwest part of 

the parish and west of the city of Natchitoches in the western part 

of the parish. The Carrizo Sand is a discontinuous, massive sand 

that overlies the eroded surface of the Wilcox aquifer. Regionally, 

the Carrizo Sand and the Wilcox aquifer are hydraulically 

connected, and the units are combined into one aquifer. The 

Carrizo Sand consists of light colored, fine to medium grained 

material with an average thickness of about 75 ft in the parish. 

Sands in the Wilcox aquifer are interbedded with dark clay 

and generally are fine grained, homogeneous, and typically 

dark, almost black in many places, because of the lignite and 

glauconite in the formation. 

The total thickness of the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in 

Natchitoches Parish ranges from about 300 to 3,700 ft, but 

the thicknesses of the individual sand beds within the aquifer 

generally range from about 1 ft to more than 100 ft. Freshwater 
in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer is generally present in the northern 

two-thirds of the parish; however, saltwater is present in the aquifer 

under most of the Red River Valley.

Groundwater-level data from 1991 indicated water levels 

in the aquifer ranged from about 180 ft above NGVD 29 along 

the western parish line to less than 100 ft NGVD in the Red 

River Valley. Groundwater flow in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer is 

generally toward the Red River. Data from well Na-487 (fig. 4), 

screened in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, showed decreasing water 

levels from 2002 to 2010. The well is located in the western part of 

the parish near Robeline (fig. 1), and is 445 ft deep. 

State well-registration records listed 342 active wells 

screened in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in Natchitoches Parish in 

2010, including 267 domestic, 41 public supply, 29 irrigation, and 

5 industrial wells. Depths of these wells ranged from 20 to 612 

ft below land surface with a median well depth of 187 ft. Yields 

from wells screened in the aquifer in the parish range from 1 to 

667 gal/min. In 2005, groundwater withdrawals from the CarrizoWilcox aquifer in the parish totaled about 1.23 Mgal/d, primarily 

for public supply, irrigation, and domestic use. 

A statistical summary of selected water-quality characteristics 

for water samples collected from 69 wells screened in freshwater 

areas of the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in Natchitoches Parish is listed 

in table 3. Based on median values, water from the Carrizo-Wilcox 

aquifer generally is soft and does not exceed the SMCLs for pH, 

and chloride, iron, and manganese concentrations. Water in the 

Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer generally exceeds the SMCLs for color and 

dissolved solids concentrations. 

Surface-Water Resources

In 2005, about 29.2 Mgal/d of surface water was withdrawn 

in Natchitoches Parish for public supply, industrial, rice irrigation, 

general irrigation, and aquaculture uses (table 2). Primary sources 

of fresh surface water in Natchitoches Parish include the Red 

River, Sibley Lake, Bayou Pierre, Little River, Black Lake 

Table 4. Summary of selected water-quality characteristics for the Red River, Bayou Pierre, and Saline Bayou in Natchitoches Parish, 

Louisiana, (U.S. Geological Survey, 2012b).

[Values are in milligrams per liter, except as noted. μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter at 25 °C; SU, standard units; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; μg/L, 

micrograms per liter; ND, no data; SMCL, Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2011); NA, not 

applicable; <, less than; —, insufficient data]

Specific 

conductance, 

field (μS/cm 

at 25 °C)

Oxygen,

dissolved

pH,

field

(SU)

Hardness (as 

CaCO3)

Calcium, 

filtered 

(as Ca)

Magnesium, 

filtered

(as Mg)

Sodium, 

filtered 

(as Na)

Chloride, 

filtered 

(as Cl)

Sulfate, 

filtered 

(as SO4)

Iron, 

filtered, 

(μg/L

as Fe)

Red River at Grand Ecore, 1995–20001

Median 508 8.4 7.7 150 40 12 56 71 82 ND

10th percentile 242 6.4 7.3 67 20 4.8 17 20 24 ND

90th percentile 1,250 10.8 8.1 310 82 26 130 190 200 ND

Number of samples 67 62 68 66 66 66 67 67 67 ND

Percentage of samples 

that do not exceed 

SMCLs

NA NA 100 NA NA NA NA 97 97 ND

Bayou Pierre near Lake End, 1979–862

Median 495 7.0 7.2 160 39 16 34 38 38 30

10th percentile 223 4.8 6.5 57 15 5.5 15 20 18 <10

90th percentile 906 10.0 7.7 340 75 35 62 73 73 200

Number of samples 41 41 41 41 41 41 42 41 41 13

Percentage of samples 

that do not exceed 

SMCLs

NA NA 93 NA NA NA NA 100 100 100

Saline Bayou near Clarence, 1953–783

Median 152 8.4 7.0 22 5.4 2.1 21 30 5.8 880

10th percentile 69 5.0 6.2 14 3.2 1.2 9.4 10 2.2 —

90th percentile 1,640 11.4 7.5 130 30 13 450 450 11 —

Number of samples 104 4 104 104 104 104 57 104 104 2

Percentage of samples 

that do not exceed 

SMCLs

NA NA 75 NA NA NA NA 87 100 50

SMCLs

NA NA 6.5–8.5 NA NA NA NA 250 250 300

1

Station number 07351930 (U.S.Geological Survey, 2012d; specific data at http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/la/nwis/qwdata/?site_no=07351930). 

2

Station number 07351750 (U.S.Geological Survey, 2012e; specific data at http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/la/nwis/qwdata/?site_no=07351750).

3

Station number 07353000 (U.S.Geological Survey, 2012f; specific data at http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/la/nwis/qwdata/?site_no=07353000).
By Robert B. Fendick, Jr., Lawrence B. Prakken, and 

Jason M. Griffith

For additional information, contact: 

Director, USGS Louisiana Water Science Center

3535 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., Suite 120

Baton Rouge, LA 70816

E-mail: dc_la@usgs.gov

Fax: (225) 298–5490

Telephone: (225) 298–5481

Home Page: http://la.water.usgs.gov

This fact sheet was published by the U.S. 

Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Louisiana 

Department of Transportation and Development 

(DOTD). Thanks are given to Zahir “Bo” Bolourchi, 

Director, Water Resources Programs, Louisiana 

Department of Transportation and Development, who 

contributed to the content and design of the fact sheet.

reservoir, and Cane River (table 1). Other major streams in the 

parish include Kisatchie Bayou and Saline Bayou. 

About 12.9 Mgal/d of surface water were withdrawn 

from the Red River in 2005 (table 1). A series of 5 locks 

and dams, including Lock and Dam 3 near Colfax and Lock 

and Dam 4 near Coushatta (fig. 1), control flow on the Red 

River in Louisiana. The average discharge of the Red River at 

Alexandria, about 25 mi south of Natchitoches Parish, is about 

30,900 cubic feet per second. Water samples analyzed from 

1995 to 2000 indicated that water in the Red River at Grand 

Ecore (station number 07351930) (fig. 1) generally is hard (table 

4) and does not exceed the SMCLs for pH and chloride and 

sulfate concentrations. Iron concentration data are not available. 

Dissolved oxygen is generally greater than 5 mg/L, which is 

considered the minimum value for a diversified population 

of fresh, warm-water biota, including sport fish (Louisiana 

Department of Environmental Quality, 2008). 

About 3.17 Mgal/d of water were withdrawn from Bayou 

Pierre in 2005 (table 1). The average discharge in Bayou Pierre 

near Lake End (station number 07351750) (fig. 1) was 992 cubic 

feet per second from October 1980 through September 2009, 

and the drainage area is about 860 square miles (mi2) (U.S. 

Geological Survey, 2012b). Water samples analyzed from 1995 

to 2000 indicated that water in Bayou Pierre near Lake End 

generally is hard (table 4) and does not exceed the SMCLs for 

pH and chloride, sulfate, and iron concentrations. Dissolvedoxygen concentrations generally are greater than 5 mg/L. 

Water samples from Saline Bayou collected from 1953 to 

1978 near Clarence indicated that the water generally is soft 

(table 4) and does not exceed the SMCLs for pH and chloride 

and sulfate concentrations. The drainage area of Saline Bayou 

near Clarence (station number 07353000) is 1,386 mi2.

Black Lake reservoir, located on Black Bayou, consists 

of two interconnected lakes: Black Lake and Clear Lake. The 

reservoir was completed in 1934; however, some subsequent 

work was done in 1949. At 100-ft elevation, the reservoir 

drains 920 mi2 , has a surface area of 20.17 mi2, and has an 

average depth of about 8 ft. Most of Black Lake is thick with 

trees and other vegetation whereas Clear Lake is mostly open 

water. The reservoir is widely used for recreation. The water in 

Black Lake reservoir is generally of good quality. During the 

summer, however, oxygen concentrations at the bottom of the 

reservoir may become depleted, and hydrogen sulfide, iron, 

and manganese concentrations may increase to nuisance levels 

(Shampine, 1971). 

Selected References 

Hem, J.D., 1985, Study and interpretation of the chemical characteristics 

of natural water (3d ed): U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 

2254, 264 p.

Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, 2008, Environmental 

Regulatory Code, Title 33, Part IX, Subpart 1: accessed June 9, 2009 

at http:www.deq.louisiana.gov/portal/tabid/1674/Default.aspx. 

Newcome, Roy, Jr., Page, L.V., and Sloss, Raymond, 1963, Water 

resources of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana: Department of 

Conservation, Louisiana Geological Survey, and Louisiana 

Department of Public Works Water Resources Bulletin no. 4, 189 p. 

Sargent, B.P., 2007, Water use in Louisiana, 2005: Louisiana 

Department of Transportation and Development Water Resources 

Special Report 16, 133 p. 

Shampine, W.J., 1971, Chemical, biological, and physical data for the 

major lakes and reservoirs in Louisiana: Louisiana Department of 

Public Works Basin Records Report no. 5, 98 p. 

Smoot, C.W., 1988, Louisiana hydrologic atlas map no. 3—altitude 

of the base of freshwater in Louisiana: U.S. Geological Survey 

Water-Resources Investigations Report 86–4314, 1 sheet, accessed 

November 2, 2011, at http://pubs.usgs.gov/wri/1986/4314/plate-1.pdf.

Smoot, C.W., 1989, Louisiana hydrologic atlas map no. 4—

geohydrologic sections of Louisiana: U.S. Geological Survey WaterResources Investigations Report 87–4288, 1 sheet, accessed February 

10, 2012, at http://pubs.usgs.gov/wri/1987/4288/plate-1.pdf. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1992, Secondary Drinking 

Water Regulations—guidance for nuisance chemicals: U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency publication EPA 810/K-92-001, 

4 p., accessed September 28, 2011, at http://water.epa.gov/drink/

contaminants/secondarystandards.cfm. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2011, 2011 Edition of the 

drinking water standards and health advisories: U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency publication EPA 820-R-11-002, Office of Water, 

12 p., accessed September 2, 2011 at http://water.epa.gov/action/

advisories/drinking/upload/dwstandards2011.pdf. 

U.S. Geological Survey, 2012a, Groundwater levels for Louisiana: 

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